Audio VU Meter

Reading time ~2 minutes

The VU meter appears in many Cinegy modules: viewers, voice-over, Cinegy Ingest, etc.This instrument is intended to help program producers maintain consistent volume levels across all the program elements.The scale has the following areas for the instant level display (the values here are in the user’s scale):

Green – below 0 dB

Yellow – 0 to 4 dB

Red – above 4 dB

In addition, there are integrated (1000 ms) levels shown with the white bars.

At the top of the scale, there is an additional color indicator. It shows the integrated status of the signal (during approximately the last 1.5 seconds). The following states are indicated (note, the value here is absolute, in dBFS, or dB Full Scale):

Black – digital silence (below -120 dBFS)

Green – signal below -6 dBFS

Red – signal above -6 dBFS

The zero level of the VU meter is adjustable to the requirements of your organization.

At the bottom of the scale, there are two speaker buttons that you can use to mute audio channel(s). To mute an individual left/right audio channel, press the corresponding speaker button or both buttons to mute both audio channels simultaneously.

Adjusting the Zero dB Level

Use the Cinegy Enterprise Manager utility to set up the zero dB level for the VU meter. The centralized control of this setting provides consistency within the organization.

Open the "Global Settings" dialog and set up the audiometer zero (dB) parameter. This value indicates the distance in dB between the maximum digital level and the zero of the VU meter. In the illustration above, the parameter is set to -14 dB.

Important

Refer to the Audiometer (DB) paragraph in the Cinegy Enterprise Manager Manual for details.

Note

The typical values for the parameter in broadcasting are -20 dB for NTSC and -18 dB for PAL.

Information on this portal is subject to change without notice and does not represent commitment on the part of Cinegy GmbH. No part of this information may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means for any purpose without the written permission of Cinegy GmbH.